Shafaqna Pakistan: Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González on Saturday called for new presidential elections as the administration of interim President Delcy Rodríguez approaches its fifth month in office following the removal of Nicolás Maduro in January.
The 76-year-old former diplomat was recognized by several countries and international observers as the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s disputed July 2024 presidential election, after opposition groups alleged electoral fraud and presented voting records they said demonstrated his victory over Maduro.
In a message posted on social media, González said it was time to create the conditions necessary for presidential elections that could serve as instruments of democratic change. He argued that such a process would help restore Venezuela’s institutions and lay the groundwork for a stable government.
His appeal comes amid continuing political uncertainty in Venezuela, where Rodríguez assumed interim leadership in January following Maduro’s removal from power. While some international actors have recognized Rodríguez’s administration, no timetable for new elections has been announced.
His message comes just shy of the five-month anniversary of Rodríguez assuming power on Jan. 5, following the arrest of Maduro and his wife, who are being prosecuted in the United States.
Maduro’s former ally Rodríguez was recognized as president by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the two countries have since made progress on a series of agreements that include the lifting of sanctions and negotiations in the oil and energy sectors, as well as the normalization of diplomatic relations.
Neither Caracas nor Washington has given any indication that elections are imminent in Venezuela. The U.S. has recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s sole head of state, allowing her to reestablish ties with Western banks and more freely work with U.S. investors.
According to González, an electoral process must have “independent referees,” national and international observation and political pluralism, among other conditions, with the release of political prisoners and “an end to the persecution” being non-negotiable.
The opposition leader asserted that he is the “guardian” of the mandate of his constituents, who chose “freedom” for Venezuela in the 2024 election. Since September that year, González has been in exile in Spain after Maduro’s administration issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of conspiracy, usurpation and the falsification of public documents — charges that he has vehemently denied.
González gained prominence when he was named as the substitute candidate for opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from participating in the elections.
Corina Machado recently met with opposition leaders in Panama, advocating for a democratic transition in Venezuela. She insisted she would return before the end of the year to run for president.
Source: Dunya News
